Unblinkingly Sweet
by MarieAnthony
Summary: Bella knew Edward ever since they were children, and she hated him. He then leaves for college and when she finally meets him again, he's changed completely and Bella is left wondering if her feelings will change towards him as well. All human.
1. Chapter 1

Unblinkingly Sweet

Chapter 1

"Bella! Wake up!" cried a tiny, pixie-like girl as she launched herself onto my bed. She grabbed the pillow from under my head and smacked me lightly with it, all the while bouncing at the prospect of a new day.

I groaned and asked, "What time is it Alice?"

"It's already ten o' clock Bella. Get up before I make you," Alice replied grinning. I glared at her but got up anyways, who knows what she might do to me?

"Okay Bella, once you get out of the bathroom, we'll go to the new mall that's opened, Ooooo, I'm so excited, it'll be sooo fun!"

I sighed as she rolled her eyes at me. "Come on Alice, it's Saturday, can't I just sleep in for a little so I can study for the test on Monday?"

She stared at me as though saying, you're kidding right? Who would pass up an opportunity to go shopping?

"But Bellllaa," she whined, stretching the last vowel in my name out. Then she huffed out of our room saying, "Fine, I'll go ask Rose to go shopping with me and she'll make you go too!"

Rosalie was our other best friend. All three of us has been together ever since our parents introduced us when we were five. Along with Rose's brother Jasper, my brother Emmett, an Alice's prat-of- a-brother Edward, we all make a pretty good team. Now the boys had gone away to college and us girls are still in high school. I really missed Emmett and Jasper. Edward? Not so much. We were pretty much enemies ever since we met, as he was always purposely trying to get on my nerves.

I hurriedly put on my favorite pale red blouse with a pink lace hem and bootcut stretch jeans and stepped out to the kitchen, where Rose and Alice sat discussing quietly. They looked over and stopped as I stepped into the room.

Rose's good morning smile was genuine as I sat down and waited for Alice to finish frying the eggs for breakfast.

I was amazed to see that Alice and Rose were already dressed in their casual clothing, all ready for the day.

Alice quickly set down out breakfast and tried to convince Rose to go shopping with her and also to drag me along.

Rose looked confused for a moment and asked, "I thought we were going to your place Alice… you know" she winked at me "to see the guys."

Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten! The guys were all coming back to the Cullen's place for the weekends before school started. Now I'm really excited, I finally get to see my big brother Emmett after four years of him being away!

Alice's face brightened, "Of course we're going to my place, but well, if we have some time left over we could just go to the…"

We didn't let her finish her sentence as Rose and I grabbed Alice's arms and marched to her gleaming yellow Porsche. I stuffed her in the back seat and sat next to her. It was Rose's turn to drive.

Alice was mad; she refused to talk to us during the whole drive to her mansion.

We all hopped out as Rosalie parked the car, I could see Edward's Volvo parked in the lot across from us, and I bet the girls could too since they were bobbling up and down just like me, looking excited. Rose parked hastily and we ran to the door.

Rose's long legs got her there first and she opened the door for us, we all raced in together.

Esme and Carlisle sat in the living room and facing towards them, was Emmett, Jasper, and… Edward?

I froze. There's no way that third young man could be Edward Cullen.

They all came forward to hug their own sister. Emmett was so big, I felt as though I was getting crushed purposely.

"Ouch Emmett, have you been working out?" I asked.

"What? Nah, I was born with these guns." Emmett's eyebrows went up as if I had insulted him but his eyes twinkled.

I laughed and slapped his arm. Then Jasper came forward and shared a hug too, I could see that he was pretty muscular also.

Then the gorgeous young man who was starting to look somewhat like Edward, but way more handsome stepped up to me and smirked. I stared at his huge chest, boy, when did they all start working out like that? I asked to myself.

As though he heard my question, his smirk went wider, "So, like what you see?"

**A/N: Alright guys, here's the end of the 1st Chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to send in a review to let me know if you liked it or not. Because it would help a lot if you guys give me things to bear in mind when I'm writing the continuing chapters. Don't be afraid to give suggestions on how you would like the story to continue.**

**Love, MarieAnthony**

**Edit: I'm back guys. There's lots and lots of editing to do before I can continue. It's been years since I last touched this fanfic and trust me, I really need to fix/edit/add on to these chapters. Heh. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I blushed hard and turned away. Argggh, yup it's still the same old Edward. He walked towards the couch and sat down, that stupid smirk was still etched on his face. I was left wondering if he would ever change at all.

Alice's parents, Esme and Carlisle, came over to Rose, Alice and I and greeted us. Then we all paired off with our brothers and conversed before Alice could remember the mall trip and pull us away from the house.

My conversation with Emmett could have been better if he wasn't staring at Rose instead of paying any attention to a word I said.

I sighed, feeling bored and looked around the huge living room; Jasper's eyes were fixed on Alice's face as she talked to her parents. That left Edward free to look around the room and in that moment, his gaze caught my wandering eyes. He winked and I flushed red again.

I excused myself to Emmett, who didn't even hear me, and left for the bathroom. I stared at my flushed face in the mirror and tried to calm myself down.

Why is he flirting with me like that, didn't he remember that we hated each other before?

When I returned to the room, everyone was done talking and Alice had turned on a movie, but no one was watching.

Now it was Rosalie who stared at my brother while he's flexing his arms in front of Edward, who just looked bored. Jasper and Alice was talking, but all they're doing now is staring into each other's eyes.

I wished I stayed in the bathroom a little longer, then I could have avoided this yuck fest.

"So Bella," came a smooth, silky voice coming from behind me. "How was life while I was gone?"

I turned around to face Edward who was still looking bored, but his bright eyes searched my face for a while.

"My life was fine Edward," I replied scathingly, sounding a little ruder than I wanted. I just don't trust myself around to this new Edward. It's…. unnerving having him so close. But why?

He gave a fake long sigh and shot me a look that obviously says, stop holding back Bella.

I bit my lip and to distract myself, I turned towards Alice and Jasper's direction and cleared my throat. They both broke out of their staring contest with each other and looked away blushing.

Then all of us, that includes Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and I turned and stared at Emmett, who was still flexing him muscles to the air, still thinking Rose was looking at him showing off his toned arms.

Emmett looked up and saw that we were staring at him. He turned beet red and stood up to stalk out of the room, muttering under his breath.

We all burst out laughing, and I fondly remembered how thick-headed my brother was at times.

But with Edward beside me, all I can think about is his deep and enchanting laugh.

Wait one minute! I shook my head to clear out that thought. What am I thinking? That was wayyy beyond acceptable. He is nowhere _near_ anything related to enchanting.

Then Esme walked out of the kitchen smiling, she asked if we would like to stay for lunch since we would be eating with the guys too.

Alice shook her head no, she said there was some unfinished business us girls have to do together first. Both Rosalie and I groaned in unison.

Alice grinned, looking more smug than ever.

We said goodbye to Esme and Carlisle, who just walked in and also to our brothers. Emmett had already entered back into the room and was still a little red in the face. They guys looked disappointed but they worked hard to not let it show.

I turned back once more to look at Edward's beautiful face; his eyes were steady on my retreating figure and I shot him a bright smile and stuck my tongue out at him. He eyebrows now registered surprise by my sudden boldness. I turned away and continued to walk out the door. If I had turned back, I would be able to see his dazed look for sure.

**A/N: It's a short chapter, sorry guys. But again, everything is being re-edited so no new chapters until I finish the re-editing process. Thank you very much****And lots of love to you all.**

**MarieAnthony**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Alice hauled us all into the Porsche again and jumped in the driver's seat.

Rosalie was sitting in her own world, daydreaming about my brother no doubt. And Alice was probably also in her own little world. I sighed and hoped that she won't crash us all.

I found myself caught in my own daydream during the quiet drive and was surprised when Alice turned the car in our own garage instead of the mall's parking lot.

Apparently, Rose had stopped daydreaming soon enough to notice also.

"Hey Alice", she asked, "Weren't you going to take us to the new mall?"

Alice just sighed and replied, "Well, I don't really feel like I'm in the mood for shopping right now, hmm, maybe tomorrow?" She was slightly smiling when she said it.

Rose and I exchanged glances; there was something definitely wrong with Alice. She's _always_ in the mood for shopping. Is she sick or something?

We walked in the house together, and I noticed that Alice immediately headed towards her room while Rose plopped on our couch and turned on the television. I had a strange feeling that they were both still thinking about the event that occurred this morning, namely, meeting the new and hopefully improved boys.

My job was to make lunch, so I got all the ingredients ready for turkey BLT sandwiches and started to prepare a hearty meal for the girls. Hopefully, having lunch will clear their minds and we'll enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening together in reality.

Surprisingly, after all of us had finished gobbling down our lunch, everyone seemed to be in a talking mood, except for me.

Alice's face was shining with this morning's enthusiasm, "Okay guys, I totally demand that we go shopping right after we clean up."

"Alright! Count me in Alice," Rose replied with the same force.

"Do we have go tonight? I heard that it's gonna be really cold once the sun sets." I asked. My reluctance however, didn't seem to wash away Alice's mood.

"Which is why we're going shopping, we could buy some new trench coats that just came out!" Alice and Rose were exchanging ideas so fast, I head started hurting.

"Come on Bella, you'll really like it. It'll be so much fun!" Rose said when she saw me frowning. She smiled hugely and added, "And I especially want some new clothing since the guys are here, we have to show them how much _we've_ changed too!

Alice nodded in agreement. "Emmett was pretty taken with you Rose, wasn't he Bella?"

I grinned, "Yeah, I mean, what's with the working out all of a sudden, and the showing off this morning, he must be thinking of you often at college Rose."

"What?" Rosalie's eyes widen and she blushed. "He- he was showing off to Edward, not me."

Alice and I laughed at Rose's stuttering. "Suree Rose," we teased her.

" Speaking of which, what about you and _my_ brother Alice? He didn't even say a word to me that whole time." Rose shot back at Alice.

Alice blushed and replied, " No idea what you're talking about Rose, come on let's get to the car, we can use Bella's."

"Issues." muttered Rose, under her breath.

I was so use to their bickering that I barely paid attention. I felt really relieved however, that they didn't bring up the subject of Edward. Just thinking of his name made my stomach squirm.

"Let's not use mine guys, I don't want it to be broken after the shopping bags are loaded, who knows how much shopping we're doing with Alice around," I suggested, winking at Rose.

"Yeah, your truck won't be able to handle all the heavy bags," Rose grinned back at me. "You can drive mine, Bells."

As I narrowed my eyes at Rose, Alice nodded and gestured for me to jump in the driver's seat.

"Okay Alice, where to," I asked shivering as the chilly breeze blew through the red BMW's window.

We got there faster than expected, partly because of Alice was urging me to drive faster and faster.

We got out of the car and headed towards the mall's huge front entrance. Alice squealed with excitement and just about sprinted towards the doors as Rose and I jogged quickly to catch up with her.

**A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. One of my reviews said they wanted more dialogue and so I tried my best here. Remember this: reviews equals happy author, happy author equals faster updates. LOL.**

**Best wishes MarieAnthony**

**P.S. I'm so lame aha.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We rushed in the mall and stood looking around at all the labeled departments, wondering which to go to first.

"Hmm, let's to Nordstrom, I noticed they have some sort of sale and they have a wide variety of clothes, shoes, and accessories there." Alice grinned at us, questioning.

"Okay, let's go check out Nordstrom first and then we can go to J. Crew afterwards, there's this sweater I really wanted to get there," agreed Rose, pulling on my hand.

"That's the spirit!" Alice nods approvingly. "Smile Bells, we're here to have fun!"

I groaned and followed them, half wishing I could escape without their notice.

Alice was already trying on an amaryllis Semantiks tulip sleeve top and Rose was picking up an eclipse Caslon stripe pullover hoody.

I scavenged through the shirt racks and came across the most beautiful looking top I've ever seen, it was an angel Juicy Couture silk chiffon top with ruffle trim.

I hurried and tried it on to ask the girl's opinion on it.

Alice rushed over as I was walking out of the dressing room and her eyes widened, "Whoa, you look like a million dollars in that, oh you have to buy it Bella, promise me you'll buy it!"

"Wow, you just need a pair of jeans to match, some make-up and you'll be fit for the back-to-school dance Bella." Rose smiled when she saw my selection.

So in the end, we all got the tops we chose and cute jeans to match and headed out towards the door.

Before we got anywhere however, Alice pulled us back in to look at the jackets and coats that were displayed by the entrance.

After an additional two hours walking around, or rather, me getting dragged by Alice while Rosalie pointed out all the shops that she wants to check out, we finally made it outside. With our arms full of shopping bags, we headed to the car to unload.

"Hey, you guys," Rosalie said out-of breath, "I just saw a pretty cozy café on the way out, do you want to drop in for some coffee before the mall closes?"

"Sure." Alice and I nodded at the same time, "Let's go."

I put my things in the trunk of Rose's car and because I bought the least, I volunteered to head for the café first to save the girls a spot. Walking towards the coffee shop, I noticed someone familiar sitting by the window inside.

As I looked closely at his face, I realized that it was Edward. He was sitting there with a cup of black coffee, and he wasn't alone.

I stood and stared with wide eyes as a tall gorgeous looking blonde with blue eyes stepped in the shop, kissed him on the cheeks, and sat down across from him.

My eyes started stinging as I turned around to walk back to Alice and Rose but I was too late, as they were now jogging towards me.

"Hey, why aren't you in the shop already Bells?" Alice asked, confused at my expression.

"What's wrong?" asked Rose, who looked concernedly at my face.

I cleared my throat quietly and shook my head. "I'm fine guys, um, do mind if I don't go in with you, I… um… need to go back to the car… for… something."

They didn't believe me. Alice twisted her head around my back and her eyes widened dramatically, her hands gripped my shoulders. Rose leaned over to look on my other side.

"Oh my goddd, is that EDWARD!?" screamed Alice furiously.

"Whoa, how come you never told me he had a girlfriend Alice?" Rose asked, frowning in her direction.

"I never knew!" Alice cried, angrily. "But you know what? I'm gonna march in there and ask him!"

"No guys, let's just go okay?" I begged, trying hard not to let my tears fall.

**A/N: Well, there it is, chapter 4. I hope it's not too sad. Were you guys surprised at the sudden appearance of Edward and the mysterious blonde? I bet you guys want to know what happens next right? Don't worry you'll get chapter 5 soon! As always, please comment, review, etc. Thank you so much!**

**Love, MarieAnthony**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Both Alice and Rosalie's heads whipped around and saw me on the verges of tears.

"Oh Bella, what happened, why are you crying?" asked Rose, who was pulling out a tissue and helping to wipe my tears.

"Hey, don't, your makeup will be ruined," Alice remarked, her features softening up after she saw my face. "Did he see you standing outside before we came?"

I sniffed, "No, he was sitting there and I thought he was alone… b-b-but th-then a g-g-girl walked up and k-k-kissed him!" I was so ashamed; Alice had the right to be mad, not me. So why am I crying?

Alice growled and stomped hard on the ground. Rose was glaring at the back of Edward's head through the store window.

"W-we should really go now, what if h-he goes outside and sees us?" I couldn't quite stop the stammering, but hopefully, the girls would think it's because of the cold.

"Then I'll go up to him and beat him up!" replied Alice, crossing her arms and sitting down on a nearby bench. "I'm gonna wait out here until he comes out!"

Rose sighed and shook her head, "We should deal with him tomorrow, besides, it's really late, and it's been a big day for all of us." She looked at me and added teasingly, "Some of us needs our sleep for a test."

"In that case, I'm calling him right when we get home." Alice said stubbornly.

"C-come on you guys, let's go." I stammered, quickly pulling Alice up the bench and taking Rose's hand. I really wanted to leave before he sees us. That is, before he sees me with mascara streaks running down my cheeks.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Alice and Rose exchange a worrired look, but I ignored them.

I was about to step in the driver's seat but Rose grabbed my arms back.

"I think I should drive Bella, you've been crying." She smiled kindly.

I nodded and sat in the back next to Alice, who opened her arms and hugged me.

I tried not to pay attention during the whole ride because Alice and Rose were talking about Edward. I didn't need to know anything more about him.

Somehow, I drifted off and Alice had to wake me up when we arrived home.

"Well, goodnight guys, I'm gonna hit the sack." Rose yawned and walked to her room.

"Night rose, night Alice." I rubbed my eyes, which are probably red from the stupid tears from earlier and headed towards my bathroom door.

Alice grabbed my from behind and swung me around to face her.

"Look Bella, I think I know why you were so upset from what we saw outside the coffee shop, but I just want to make sure. Is it because you have feelings for my brother now and you didn't like to see him with another girl?" Alice asked, looking at my face carefully to see my reaction.

"N-no, it's not that Alice," I stammered, blushing red. "I was…just, really…surprised, that's all. I think I got too emotional. But I'm okay now, really."

Alice peered at my face suspiciously, but my tired look kept her from pushing the subject further.

"I was just... feeling too tired from you and Rose dragging me around the mall and that's why I reacted like that." I tried again.

"Well, if my suspicions were right, I would have been happy for you two." She added smirking (wow, only Alice could share Edward's smirk, I thought), "When we were little, I always thought you two looked good with each other."

"I don't think so." I shook my head, "You know we never got along"

"If you hadn't noticed Bella, he's changed, well, except for the multiple girlfriends thing." Alice muttered the last part.

"All the same, I'll never like him." I replied, instantly pondering on my words. What if I do end up liking him? Oh Bella, I groaned inwardly.

"Okay," Alice smiled, looking as though she had some sort of plan up her sleeves, "Good night Bella!"

I walked to my room; my cheeks were still warm from our conversation. Before I closed my bedroom door, I heard Alice screaming on her phone.

"GOD EDWARD, YOU NEVER TELL ME ANYTHING! DO YOU HAVE SHORT TERM MEMORY!? MENTAL PROBLEMS!? DO YOU!? ANSWER ME MISTER! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I SAW WHEN THE GIRLS AND I WERE SHOPPING…?"

I closed my door quietly. I bit my lip and blinked back the tears that were already starting to flow down my face.

**A/N: I just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews, I know that I haven't been updating this whole week, but this is the 5th chapter and I hope you liked it. Keep up with the reviews, it really makes me happy to read what you all have to say about each chapter. And even if you're criticizing, I know it's for the best.**

**I did get a question about why Bella got so sad/mad when she saw Edward with his girlfriend in the last chapter. That is because she just met a new good-looking side of him, and she was starting falling for him, so it hurt her to see him with someone else. She knew that he had a lot of girlfriends before, but that was when she hated him and she didn't care about him at all. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, I will try to answer them the best I can. And as always, thanks and take care guys.**

**MarieAnthony**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I woke up to the bright sunlight that was shining through the curtains of my window. There was no Alice waking me up today. I listened to the silence in the living room and decided that today would be my studying day.

I got dressed in a black square-neck tunic with attached camisole and nakita wash boot-cut stretch jeans. Just to make sure I wasn't alone, I peaked out the doorway and saw Rose reading the newspaper. Alice was nowhere to be seen.

"Morning Bella, how'd you sleep?" came a voice next to me.

I twisted around in surprise and saw Alice in her bunny pajamas. I smiled and said, "Not too bad, how about you?"

She made a face and sighed. She looked timidly at my face and said…

"Well, you know… I was wondering, if you wanted to go out for lunch later, just to freshen up before we go back to my house in the evening." Alice placed a hand on my shoulder. "I already talked to Edward last night, everything's clear, he apologized for not telling me.

"Rose already agreed to go," she continued. "Please come?" She begged pouting her lips fully, her eyes wide.

"I don't know Alice, I still need to study." I replied. And what's more, I really didn't want to face Edward today.

"I know you'll come with us sooner or later Bella, so hurry and study so we can have breakfast. Rose's turn to make cook today." Alice said confidently, and strode to the living room.

I sighed and followed her, no sense in studying while I have to worry about seeing Edward again.

"Good morning Bella!" sang Rosalie.

I returned her smile. The best thing about Rose is that she doesn't look back into past events, so the incident last night was already forgotten to her.

Once we finished breakfast, Rose wanted to go jogging by the lake, something us girls have taken up on Sunday mornings.

So we all changed into our regular matching jogging sweats and tanks and grabbed some water bottles. Rose, who was probably the most athletic, ran ahead and called for us to hurry up.

"Come on guys, hurry up! I swear, you're both getting so slow now!" Rose laughed and stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, be quiet Rose, you know very well I'd rather shop than jog any day!" Alice replied grumbling.

"Tell us something we don't already know Alice, if you like shopping so much, why not just live at the mall." I said, laughing along with Rose.

The fresh morning air seemed to match with our brights moods this morning and the calm sweeping breeze blew against our faces gently.

Fifteen minutes later, Rose dared Alice to race with her. I was slowed down and began jogging backwards in the same direction they were racing.

Thump! All of a sudden, I bumped into a hard wall. Turning around slowly, I realized that I had bumped into a tall young man.

He had medium auburn hair and sharp intense sapphire blue eyes that matched his shorts, his chest was bare with strong hard muscles that were directly displayed in front of my face.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized, even though it was my fault. "Are you alright?"

I blushed crimson, "Actually, _I'm_ v-very sorry, yes I'm f-fine." I looked up at him and smiled to cover up the stammering.

He grinned and said, "It's nice to meet you, my name is Jack, Jack Carls. What's your name?"

"I-I'm Bella Swan." I answered, unsure. I couldn't help but to admire his deep and attractive low voice. He must be about 18 years old.

"You seemed a bit... lost in thought earlier," he remarked. I stayed silent and he spoke again.

"So, do you come here often? I ever haven't seen you around." He questioned, tilting his head wonderingly.

I didn't notice that I was jogging with him until now, "Um, yes, I come here with my friends almost every Sunday morning."

" Really? Hmmm, how strange, I come here just about every weekend also. Anyways, I'm glad we met." Jack smile widened.

"Yea, it's strange how I just happened to bump into you." I sigh, it's not everyday I get to run into, literally, a handsome hunk. Wait a second Bella, how do you know if he doesn't already have a girlfriend…like Edward. Oh why does it hurt so much just to think of him and the girl...

"What's wrong Bella?" He asked, wondering at my long lapse of silence.

"Oh, it's nothing." I smiled, trying to make my voice sound convincing, though I know I'm a terrible liar.

"BELLA!" two loud voices screamed out from behind me. Both Jack and I turned around to face Rose and Alice. Both were standing with their arms crossed.

**A/N: I'm really really sorry for not updating in such a long time, it's been a really tiring week and I didn't have anytime to write. But here's the 6th chapter for you! I hope you guys liked it. Tell me what you think about the new character, any ideas on him? Hehe. Well, thank you for reading and bye for now!**

**Love, MA**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"We've been looking all over for you! We thought you got lost!" Rose uncharacteristically snapped.

Alice was looking at Jack speculatively and asked, "So, who are you?"

"Hi, I'm Jack Carls, you ladies must be of Bella's running friends. It's a pleasure to meet you," Jack offered a hand, to which Alice eyed suspiciously.

Rosalie however, was more interested, grabbed his hand and shook vigorously.

"Well, I think we should go for lunch now guys, I already promised my parents the visit, and we are _not_ going to be late." Alice said loudly.

"Um, isn't it a little early for lunch right now Alice?" I asked, looking at my watch.

Alice glared at me and shook her head towards Rose's direction.

"We gotta go before Rose forgets that Emmett is her guy, I mean, look at her flirt with _Jack…" _Alice hissed in my ear.

I sighed and shrugged. Jack got Alice's message and glanced at his watch.

"Yikes, look at the time. Sorry girls, I gotta run." He started to take off in the other direction. Then he slowed into a walk and looked back at me, "Hey Bella, I really enjoyed meeting you today. Hey, next week, maybe we can meet here and go out for coffee or something." He smiled and waved.

I blushed and waved to him. Next to me, Alice and Rose were exchanging glances.

"What?" I asked glaring back at them.

"_Nothing!"_ They both sang out in unison, smiling with furtive looks.

"Ok Alice, let's go, where do you want to eat?" I ignored the looks they kept exchanging.

"Um, how about that new restaurant that just opened in town, what was it called? Uh, North Hill Grill, Edward said it was a good place to eat." Alice answered, smiling happily.

"Maybe it's because he's been there so many times with his blonde _girlfriend_." Rosalie aimed the sentence at me.

"Are you saying that on purpose? Things were going fine without him in this!" I muttered to her loudly, trying not to attract Alice's attention. And then I gasped; did I just say that out loud? Oh no!

"What do you mean Bella? How….ohhhh, I see how it is." Rose nodded, winking at me. "You have a little crush on Edward?" She whispered loudly.

"Who? Who has a crush on Edward? You guys better tell me, he's my brother!" Alice squealed excitedly.

"Ugh, _no one_ would crush on him, right Rose?" I asked her back, my teeth clenched.

"Whatever, you can't be sure, he's pretty good looking, but I prefer your brother Bella." Rose answered grinning.

I stared at her, amazed; she actually confessed that to me, wow. Rosalie finally started to blush a delicate rose color.

"Okay, enough talk about boys, I'm starving!" Alice pulled us to her Porsche, which was parked closest to the lake and we all jumped in.

We arrived at the grill and the girls went through the menu to find a quick lunch. Alice wanted to go to her mansion right afterwards and she kept telling us we had to eat fast.

I couldn't eat because I was so nervous about meeting Edward. Alice and Rose were worried but they couldn't convince me to order anything other than an iced tea.

Alice only ordered a mini slice of Hawaiian pizza and a strawberry milkshake, usually, she would have gotten more. Rose got a garden salad and a peach smoothie. They finished half of what they got and we headed out the door to Alice's car and rushed off.

"Why are we in such a hurry Alice?" Rosalie asked, frowning at the speedometer.

"There's something important I have to deal with at my house." She replied, finally slowing down a bit and breaking into a wide grin.

"You mean Jasper?" I asked, teasingly.

"No! Not him! I mean, I would love to see him again, but this is different." Alice started to blush, and glared at us from her mirror.

Rose and I cracked up and leaned on each other to support us from tumbling on the floor from laughing so hard.

"Sure it is, we really believe you." Rose's sarcasm started another round of laughter, but only from us. Alice just rolled her eyes, though she blushed deeper every second we laughed.

When we finally arrived at Alice's place, the Alice and Rose rushed in through the door.

I took a deep breath and followed them inside…

**A/N: My sincere apologies for not updating for so long, it's been what, two weeks already? Yeah, so again, I'm really sorry, but I guess you guys do know the reason why right? Busy busy bee. Yupp, all week I had projects and loads of homework, the whole nine yards.**

**Anyway, so I finally finished the 7th chapter, I'm so proud. Read, enjoy, and submit some thoughts or recommendations if you like, I'll appreciate that. Thank you all for reading!**

**MA**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"It's too bad that you've got a girlfriend now Edward, I'm sure Bella would be so disappointed when she finds out…" A voice that sounds a lot like Emmett said as I treaded slowly into the room.

I flushed and stepped in quickly so they can see me and stop talking. But apparently, they didn't notice.

"What do you mean? Why's she gonna be disappointed?" asked Edward grinning at my brother.

"Guys she already knows, remember… oh wait, I forgot to tell you, sorry, but she saw you and Tanya at the café along with Rose and I." Alice smiled at the guys' shocked faces. Rose burst out laughing.

"W-w-what do you mean Alice?" Edward paled, "Are you serious? Wait, did she say anything?"

"Did she faint?" Jasper asked and then hooted at the sight of Edward.

"Wait, did she beat anyone up?" started Emmett, who beamed when Edward looked like he was going to beat **Emmett** up.

"Why do you guys even care?" Rose wondered, annoyed, "It's not like Bella cared about it."

Picking up Rose's cue, Alice nodded, "No one really cares about who you date big bro."

"Is that right sis?" Edward raised his brows at her, "Who was the one that tried to break my eardrums in my ear last night on the phone?"

I stood there, by the doorway, watching the scene unfold and bit back a giggle. though I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable since they were talking about me.

"Hang on, where is Bella by the way, did you guys come alone?" Emmett asked, quickly looking around the other side of the room.

I sighed. Just when I thought someone had noticed me… it had to be my brother, who probably doesn't even know where the door was located.

"No actually, she's going out with her new date today." Rose replied and then everyone turned around to see Edward's reaction.

He yelped in surprise, "What did you say?!" his eyes narrowed in what... anger? And his face hardened.

Everyone laughed, even me, and I felt a shock of pleasure of his reaction.

"Um, I hope I'm not intruding on something private here." I made myself sound uncertain and innocent as I walked into the living room and stared at the shock faces on the boys.

"Bella! You're here!" Emmett jumped up and opened his arms in a brotherly fashion. I hugged him, smiling.

"Hey Bella! How are you? Wait, I'm confused, are you supposed to be with your boyfriend now or not?" Jasper's eyebrows furrowed.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend Jasper." I replied truthfully, still smiling.

I turned to Edward slowly; all my nervousness had disappeared as I saw the look on his face. His face was pale, mask like, and very shocked at the sight of my presence.

"Hi Edward, how's your girlfriend doing?" I asked, enjoying his flushing face. At the same, my heart sank as soon as those words were out of my mouth, and I realized, I didn't want him to have a girlfriend.

"Awww, I think we've teased him enough Bella." Alice said beaming.

"No, there's never enough anything when it comes to Eddie-poo." Emmett replied and Jasper laughed.

Edward glared at us. "Shut up, just because I'm the first person here to have a girlfriend doesn't mean you all have to be jealous."

"Pshh, jealous? Of you and _Tanya_? I don't think so!" Alice retorted back.

I saw Edward glance at me, and I turned away, searching for a different topic. Rose and Emmett were now having some sort of staring contest that I originally thought had only existed between Alice and Jasper.

"So, are you girls all set for school tomorrow?" Jasper inquired, though mostly talking to Alice anyhow.

Alice nodded, "Yupp, all set, hey, that reminds me, I'll have to wear the new top I got on my shopping trip…" And from then, she and Jasper started their own conversation.

I groaned inwardly. Oh no! I didn't study for the calculus test yet. This was the worst weekend ever, well, except for the part where I met Jack, I smile secretly to myself.

Edward was looking curiously at me, "Um so Bella…"

**A/N: It's been really long since I've updated last, hope you guys aren't mad at me. Thanks for the reviews, it always makes me happy to read them. I'm sorry this chapter is kinda short. My cousin just arrived from Vietnam a few days ago and with that came a lot of excitement. Therefore, I didn't have the time to write, but hopefully I'll have the time to write more now. **

**Enjoy this chapter and I'll work on my next chapters so I can post them up for you guys soon!**

**Love, MA**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I turned to face him and was surprised to see that he looked more nervous than me, is that possible?

"…I uh…well… how was your morning?" Edward suddenly switched tones, his nervousness was now a light and indifferent mood.

"Um, okay, I guess, we went jogging." I murmured quietly. So he was avoiding the girlfriend issue, well fine, I won't tell him about Jack. But then I thought, why should he even care who Jack is, it's not like it matters to him. I frowned unhappily.

"What's the matter?" Edward asked, confused. "Did something happen while you guys were jogging?" His concern showed right away. His eyes, I noticed, were bright green, calm and serene. His godly features were amazingly the same, pale and beautiful. Still it hurt to look at such an aching beauty and the pain became much more acute when my thoughts flitted back to the café scene. My conscience pulled me back into reality, telling me to be careful, to not forget that he's already taken.

"No, nothing exciting happened. I guess I'm just really nervous about school, and the big examination, what if I don't pass?! Then I'll flunk and never go to college, oh no!" My soft muttering became quite loud as I panicked. He stared at me looking a bit puzzled, probably thinking of ways to calm me down.

I was beyond surprised, had I just panicked about _school_ in front of Edward? He's probably thinking how nerdy I am right now! I clutched my flushing face, feeling humiliated.

"It'll be okay Bella, you're a good student, you'll pass the exam in a blink of an eye," Edward smiled sincerely, "I was kind of worried myself about it when I was a senior."

I bit my lip and nodded. "Thanks Edward." I murmured softly, staring at him.

"Bella," his smooth, velvety began slowly. "I was wondering..."

Suddenly, he broke off and stared at something else. I followed his gaze, feeling annoyed at whatever happened that broke off his question. When I saw what had captured his attention, my eyes widened and my stomach gave a big lurch forward.

Sitting there, arms wrapped around each other was Rosalie and my own big brother Emmett, making out quite passionately with each other. Beside me Edward was laughing loudly, I sighed, thinking of how even the sound of his laughter could have such an affect on me. But then I shook my head and concentrated back on what was causing the laughter.

I was seriously feeling grossed out by this. I looked over at Jasper, who was currently very engrossed in playing video games. I wondered where Alice went. Jasper suddenly dropped his game controller and started to stare at them, and like me, he was also totally shocked. Probably because he never thought his sister would actually do something like this. That is, with his best friend, _right in front_ of him.

"Oh god, why don't you guys get a room all ready?" Edward snickered while he asked.

"It's not funny Edward." I frowned. I tried not to think of what else they could do while in another room. I shivered, grimacing.

"Now why is that?" Edward asked me, gazing at me face with raised brows and a familiar smirk. "Not jealous are you?"

I glared at him and then stared at my feet. What is wrong with him, and why would I be jealous? A small voice answered my question in my head. Maybe because you haven't ever been kissed like that, Bella. Maybe because you want Edward to kiss you. I narrowed my eyes and cringed, my conscience is going crazy, and this is all because of Edward.

But Jasper nodded his head in agreement to my last comment, "Yeah, this is going to be quite awkward when they're done."

Emmett and Rose finally broke apart blushing violently. I rubbed my eyes and groaned. That was horrible. I'm now permanently scarred.

"Finally!" Jasper and Edward both cried out in unison.

Rose blushed and looked away, while Emmett just grinned at his pals. I raised my eyebrows at him and he shrugged, still smiling as though he had won the lottery.

"Hey Jasper, where did Alice go?" I asked him, still wondering.

Just in time, Alice bursts in the room jumping wildly, "Here I am!" She cried out, smiling even wider than Emmett. "I just had **_the best_** idea, and Esme and Carlisle actually agreed to it! AHH! YES!" She was still screaming in ecstasy ten minutes later.

**A/N: Hmmmm, well, I do wonder what Alice is so happy about. Haha. Well, that's the end of this chapter, I hope you liked it. I really want to thank you all very much for the reviews, they we're great and had certainly brightened up my day. I was hoping, maybe I could take a break, just for a while, I promise. So in the mean time, please, please, please read and enjoy whatever I have right now. Thanks!**

**MarieAnthony**


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